2 Mets players who've earned an apology from their doubters, 2 not quite there

The 2023 season has obviously been an abysmal one for the New York Mets. What once felt like World Series or bust entering the season turned into the Mets selling some veterans including Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the deadline in exchange for prospects.

A big reason the Mets found themselves so far out of contention that they opted to sell was because of some underperforming players. Fortunately, as the season has gone on, even with the team not anywhere close to a postseason spot, a couple of players who started off so awfully have earned apologies from their doubters. Two others are on that same path, but haven't quite done enough yet to earn it.

NY Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has earned an apology from his doubters

No Met has had the ups and downs Francisco Lindor has had during his time in New York. It feels like he's either playing at an MVP level or he's playing like a below average shortstop.

The Mets got the latter through the first couple of months of the season, and it's partly why the team got off to such a slow start. Lindor, hitting primarily second and third in the order, was slashing .211/.289/.411 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI through June 16. He hit for power, but did virtually nothing else offensively. Lindor and his wife Katia wound up having their second child, Amapola on June 17.

Since her berth, he's been the MVP-caliber player fans have come to expect. He's slashed .307/.394/.533 with ten home runs and 31 RBI in the 54 games he's played in since June 17.

Lindor's prolonged hot stretch has him back in the top-five in all of baseball in fWAR. He's performed like a superstar offensively to go along with his usual Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop. Anyone who thought Lindor was anything less than the player the Mets pay him to be has already apologized by now. At least I hope.